2010 Tanzania Elections Brief

On October 31, 2010, the United Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania) held its fourth general election since multiparty democracy was restored in 1992. Over 19 million voters visited the approximately 52,000 polling stations to cast their ballots for the presidency and 238 parliamentary seats. As anticipated, Tanzania’s incumbent president, Jakaya Kikwete, won reelection by a large margin, securing 61% of the vote. While international and domestic election observers praised the elections as peaceful and relatively smooth, tensions on the ground rose during the six days it took Tanzania’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) to officially declare the presidential results. Concerns also grew as the opposition party Chama Cha Maendeleo na Demokrasia (CHADEMA) challenged the results. Despite isolated incidents of political unrest, Tanzania has remained relatively peaceful following the elections.